Student Perceptions of Campus Safety at Tennessee State University

Abstract

Campus safety is a troublesome and growing issue on college campuses around the country. Colleges are valued institutions that help build upon the country’s foundations and also serve as a community where growth and stability of future generations occur. Crime on college campuses affects those involved in a criminal incident and interrupts the progress and solidity of the campus. The purpose of this study was to examine student perceptions of campus safety at Tennessee State University based on the 10 Point Safety Enhancement Plan released by President Glover. The research was conducted in order to answer the question: What demographic variables influence TSU student’s perceptions of campus safety? The sample consisted of 200 undergraduate students at TSU. The participants were gathered by using convenience sampling. This study was completed using quantitative research methodology focusing on statistical data from a survey, as well as convenience sampling to obtain the data. Each participate was provided a survey with multiple responses. The independent variables analyzed were gender, major, classification, race, and residence. The dependent variables consisted of regarding the campus safety of the university. Spearman’s Rho was used to determine statistical significance and correlation. The results showed that none of the independent variables could reject the null hypothesis because there were not significant statistical differences. The Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was .807. A statistic of .70 or higher indicates that the measure used to obtain the data was reliable.